Thermostat and system and method for use of same

ABSTRACT

A thermostat and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, multiple wireless transceivers are located within a housing, which also interconnectively includes a processor, memory, and a camera. To improve convenience, the thermostat may establish a pairing with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device having a display. Virtual remote control functionality for various amenities may then be provided. To improve safety, the thermostat may be incorporated into a geolocation and safety network and, under certain conditions, the thermostat may provide a video feed.

PRIORITY STATEMENT & CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/218,453 entitled “Thermostat and System and Method for Use of Same”filed on Mar. 31, 2021 in the names of William C. Fang et al., now U.S.Pat. No. 11,521,483 and issued on Dec. 6, 2022; which claims priorityfrom U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 63/126,065 entitled “Thermostatand System and Method for Use of Same” filed on Dec. 16, 2020, in thename of William C. Fang; both of which are hereby incorporated byreference, in entirety, for all purposes. U.S. patent application Ser.No. 17/218,453 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/600,766 entitled “Gateway Device and System and Method forUse of Same” filed on Oct. 14, 2019 in the names of William C. Fang etal., now U.S. Pat. No. 10,992,498 and issued on Apr. 27, 2021; whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/786,954entitled “Gateway Device and System and Method for Use of Same” filed onDec. 31, 2018, in the name of William C. Fang; both of which are herebyincorporated by reference, in entirety, for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, in general, to devices and systems formonitoring and controlling heating and cooling in a room or otherenvironment to a setpoint temperature and, in particular, to thermostatswith enhanced convenience and systems and methods for use of the samethat address and enhance the automation of solutions in the room orother environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Without limiting the scope of the present invention, the background willbe described in relation to the hospitality lodging industry, as anexample. To many individuals, a hotel room is more than just a place tosleep; rather, it is part of a larger and hopefully positive hospitalityexperience. Hotel guests are seeking enhanced convenience in aneasy-to-use platform to make this experience a reality. As a result ofsuch consumer preferences, hassle free connectivity and confidenceinspiring control of room amenities are differentiators in determiningthe experience of guests staying in hospitality lodging establishments.Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems and methods forproviding enhanced convenience in an easy-to-use platform in thehospitality lodging industry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would be advantageous to achieve a thermostat that would improve uponexisting limitations in functionality. It would be desirable to enable acomputer-based electronics and software solution that would provideenhanced convenience in an easy-to-use platform in the hospitalitylodging industry or in another environment. Further, it would also bedesirable to enable a computer-based electronics and software solutionthat would provide improved safety in a reliable platform. To betteraddress one or more of these concerns, a thermostat and system andmethod for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of thethermostat, multiple wireless transceivers are located within a housing,which also interconnectively includes a processor and memory.

The thermostat may establish a pairing with a proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device having a display and various amenities.Content, such as the Internet, movies, music, or games, for example, maybe imported, e.g., streamed, from the programmable device andreformatted at the thermostat for rendering on one of the amenities.Virtual remote control functionality of the amenities may also beprovided. To improve safety, the thermostat may be incorporated into ageolocation and safety network and, under certain conditions, thethermostat may provide a video feed.

In another embodiment, a system for remote control is disclosed. Aprogramming interface is configured to communicate with a thermostat,which includes a housing securing a temperature input, a temperatureoutput, a processor, non-transitory memory, and storage therein with abusing architecture providing interconnectivity. The non-transitorymemory is accessible to the processor and the non-transitory memoryincludes various processor-executable instructions that, when executed,by the processor cause the system to perform various operations,including the aforementioned pairing, virtual remote controlfunctionality, and incorporation into a geolocation and safety network,for example. These and other aspects of the invention will be apparentfrom and elucidated with reference to the embodiments describedhereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of thepresent invention, reference is now made to the detailed description ofthe invention along with the accompanying figures in which correspondingnumerals in the different figures refer to corresponding parts and inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram depicting one embodiment of a system forproviding a thermostat furnishing enhanced convenience and safetyfunctionality therewith according to the teachings presented herein;

FIG. 2A is a front elevation view of one embodiment of the thermostatdepicted in FIG. 1 in further detail;

FIG. 2B is a top plan view of the thermostat depicted in FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3A is a front elevation view of another embodiment of thethermostat, according to the teachings presented herein;

FIG. 3B is a top plan view of the thermostat depicted in FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram depicting one embodiment of thethermostat presented in FIGS. 2A and 2B;

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram depicting one operationalembodiment of a portion of the thermostat shown in FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram depicting another operationalembodiment of a portion of the thermostat shown in FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart depicting one embodiment of a method forproviding a thermostat having enhanced convenience according to theteachings presented herein; and

FIG. 8 is a flow chart depicting one embodiment of a method forproviding a thermostat furnishing enhanced safety according to theteachings presented herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the making and using of various embodiments of the presentinvention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated thatthe present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts, whichcan be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specificembodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways tomake and use the invention, and do not delimit the scope of the presentinvention.

Referring initially to FIG. 1 , therein is depicted one embodiment of asystem 10 utilizing a thermostat 12 with enhanced content capabilitiesand safety capabilities being employed within a hospitality lodgingestablishment. The hospitality lodging establishment or, more generally,hospitality property, may be a furnished multi-family residence,dormitory, lodging establishment, hotel, hospital, or other multi-unitenvironment. As shown, by way of example and not by way of limitation,the hospitality environment is depicted as the hotel H having variousrooms and spaces, including space P and back of the house operations O.As will be discussed in additional detail, the thermostat 12 iscommunicatively disposed with various amenities associated with thehospitality environment or hotel H as well as a geolocation and safetynetwork 58. Thermostats, like the thermostat 12, may be deployedthroughout the spaces P and rooms of the hotel H.

As shown, in one embodiment, within the space P, which may be a hallwayor lobby, for example, the system 10 includes the thermostat 12 having ahousing 14 with physical connections 16, 18. A network cable 19 issecured to physical connection 16. In one embodiment, the thermostat 12includes a camera 20. A configuration profile 22 provides theinformation and credentials necessary for the thermostat 12 to haveconvenient connections to amenities and a safe experience for the guestsas well as workers at the hotel H through the geolocation and safetynetwork 58, as will be described below. Multiple antennas may providefor the wireless capabilities of the thermostat 12 and include, forexample, wireless standards: Wi-Fi 24, Bluetooth 26, and ZigBee 28. Moregenerally, it should be appreciated that the cabling connected to thethermostat 12 and antenna configuration will depend on the environmentand application, and the cabling connections and wireless standardspresented in FIG. 1 are depicted for illustrative purposes.

The thermostat 12 communicates wirelessly with various amenities 30,which are depicted as environmental and service amenities, within andfor an environment of the space P. As shown, the amenities may includeone or more of lighting 32, a speaker 34, window shades 36, a door 38,which is depicted as a door indication for “Please Do Not Disturb,” andservices 40, which may include repair services, delivery services, orhousekeeping services, for example. A programmable device 42 that may beproximate and serve as a personal location device, such as a singlebutton programmable device 44 having a button 45 with Bluetoothcapabilities 46 or a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice 48 may be in communication with the thermostat 12 by a wirelessstandard. As shown, the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48 may be a wireless-enabled interactive handhelddevice that may be supplied or carried by the guest and may be selectedfrom a range of existing devices, such as, for example personalcomputers, laptops, tablet computers, smart phones, and smart watches,for example. In one implementation, an application installed from aserver enables the thermostat 12 and the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 48 to be wirelessly paired. In anotherembodiment, a challenge-response is utilized to wirelessly pair thethermostat 12 and the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48.

As shown, the configuration profile 22 is loaded within the thermostat12. The guest configuration profile 22 may be loaded from theoperations, e.g., the front desk or hotel headend, by use of a remotecontrol, or by a proximate device, such as the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. The configurationprofile 22 enables, in operation, to query the status of one of theamenities, to furnish virtual remote control functionality of thevarious amenities 30 that may be provided by the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48, and to importcontent from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice 48 to one of the various amenities 30, such as the speaker 34.Such functionality is depicted by the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 48 having a display 50 and a virtualinterface 52 thereon for controlling the temperature of the space P byway of a Wi-Fi wireless signal 54 that is received by the thermostat 12and transmitted to the HVAC system.

In another implementation, the thermostat 12 has a data link to a server56 which is providing the geolocation and safety network 58, whichincludes the thermostat 12 as well as the programmable device 42 in theform of the single button programmable device 44 or the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. In oneimplementation, an individual has the programmable device 44, which maytransmit a beacon signal 62 from the programmable device 44 using awireless standard such as the Bluetooth capabilities 46 to thethermostat 12. The thermostat 12 then processes the received beaconsignal 62 and sends a broadcast signal 64 to the server 56. Moreparticularly, with respect to data flow 60, the programmable device 44transmits the beacon signal 62 which includes a personal location deviceidentification identifying the programmable device 44. The beacon signal62 is received by the thermostat 12 which transmits the broadcast signal64 including the personal location device identification, a thermostatidentification identifying the thermostat 12, and a signalcharacteristic indicator, such as signal strength, for example. Theserver 56 receives the broadcast signal 64 and uses multiple broadcastsignals, including a broadcast signal 66, for locationing 68, such astriangulation, of the location of the programmable device 44. The server56, in turn, sends out the appropriate notifications to various phones,activates alarms, or notify others via a computer, depending on thesituation. In one implementation, under certain conditions, such as analert-enabled mode and an emergency, the camera 20 may be actuated bythe thermostat 12 to send video to the server 56. As a spatial array ofhorizontal and vertical thermostats are provided, the server 56 andsystem 10 presented herein is able to determine the location of theindividual associated with the programmable device 44 within a building.The location information determined includes which floor the individualis presently located as well as the room or common area.

Referring to FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the thermostat 12 may be awall-mounted unit that is an information appliance device that generallycontains convenience and safety functionality, in addition to monitoringand controlling heating and cooling in a room or other environment to asetpoint temperature. The thermostat 12 includes the housing 14 having afront wall 70, a rear wall 72, a side wall 74, a side wall 76, a topwall 78, and a bottom base 80. It should be appreciated that front wall,rear wall, and side wall are relative terms used for descriptivepurposes and the orientation and the nomenclature of the walls may varydepending on application. The front wall 70 includes various ports, suchas the physical connections 16, 18, that provide communication forvarious interfaces, including inputs 92 (please see FIG. 4 ) and outputs94 (please see FIG. 4 ). In one implementation, as illustrated, thephysical connection 16 is an RJ45 port and the physical connection 18 isa USB2 port. As shown, the top wall 78 includes a camera securement 82for the camera 20. It should be appreciated that the configuration ofports may vary with the thermostat depending on application and context.By way of further example, referring to FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, thethermostat 12 may have no additional ports.

Referring now to FIG. 4 , within the housing 14, the inputs 92, theoutputs 94, a processor 96 (to include embodiments having processors),memory 98, storage 100, thermostat circuitry 102, and one or morecameras 20 are interconnected by a bus architecture 104 within amounting architecture. The processor 96 may process instructions forexecution within the computing device, including instructions stored inthe memory 98 or in storage 100. The memory 98 stores information withinthe computing device. In one implementation, the memory 98 is a volatilememory unit or units. In another implementation, the memory 98 is anon-volatile memory unit or units. Storage 100 provides capacity that iscapable of providing mass storage for the thermostat 12. The variousinputs 92 and outputs 94 provide connections to and from the computingdevice, wherein the inputs 92 are the signals or data received by thethermostat 12, and the outputs 94 are the signals or data sent from thethermostat 12. As mentioned, the one or more cameras 20 are each anoptical instrument for capturing still images or for recording movingimages, which are stored in a physical medium such as in a digitalsystem. The camera 20 may send the captured images to the server 56under certain conditions.

Multiple transceivers 106 are associated with the thermostat 12 andcommunicatively disposed with the bus architecture 104. As shown thetransceivers 106 may be internal, external, or a combination thereof tothe housing 14. Further, the transceivers 106 may be atransmitter/receiver, receiver, or an antenna for example. Communicationbetween the various amenities 30 in the space P and the thermostat 12may be enabled by a variety of wireless methodologies employed by thetransceivers 106, including 802.11, 802.15, 802.15.4, 3G, 4G, Edge,Wi-Fi, ZigBee, near field communications (NFC), Bluetooth low energy andBluetooth, for example. Also, infrared (IR) may be utilized.

The memory 98 and storage 100 are accessible to the processor 96 andinclude processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor 96 to execute a series of operations. With respect to firstprocessor-executable instructions, the processor 96 is caused toestablish a pairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48 and the thermostat 12. The processor-executableinstructions then send user interface instructions relative to thevarious amenities 30 to the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48. The instructions may further cause the processor96 to receive and process user input instructions relative to thevarious amenities 30 from the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48. The processor-executable instructions may alsocause the processor 96 to generate a command signal and send the commandsignal to the various amenities 30.

The memory 98 may also include second processor-executable instructionsthat, when executed, cause the processor 96 to receive and process abeacon signal including a personal location device identification. Theinstructions may then cause the processor 96 to generate a broadcastsignal including the personal location device identification, athermostat identification, and signal characteristics indicator.Finally, the instructions may cause the processor 96 to send thebroadcast signal to the server 56.

The memory 98 may also include third processor-executable instructionsthat, when executed, cause the processor 96 to establish a pairingbetween the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device48 and the thermostat 12. Following the establishment of a pairing, theprocessor-executable instructions may cause the processor 96 to senduser interface instructions relative to the various amenities 30 to theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. Theinstructions may then cause the processor 96 to receive and process userinput instructions relative to the various amenities 30 from theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. As partof the status inquiry process, the processor-executable instructions maythen generate a status inquiry, send the status inquiry to the variousamenities 30, receive a response to the status inquiry at the thermostat12, and forward a status response to the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 48.

The memory 98 may include fourth processor-executable instructions that,when executed, cause the processor 96 to establish a pairing between theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48 and thethermostat 12 and then send user interface instructions relative to thevarious amenities 30 to the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48. The processor-executable instructions mayfurther cause the processor 96 to receive and process user inputinstructions relative to the various amenities 30 from the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. Then, the processor96 may be caused to import content from the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 48, reformat the imported content, andforward the reformatted imported content to the various amenities 30.

The memory 98 may include fifth processor-executable instructions that,when executed, cause the processor 96 to capture video via the camera 20and transmit the video to the server 56. It should be appreciated thatvarious conditions may be present for the camera to initiate thecapturing of images and transmission thereof. For example, in oneimplementation, in response to receiving and processing the beaconsignal in the alerts-enabled mode, the processor-executable instructionscause the processor to capture video via the camera 20. In anotherimplementation, in response to receiving and processing a signal fromthe server 56, the processor-executable instructions cause the processor96 to capture video via the camera 20.

Thus, the systems and methods disclosed herein may enable users to useexisting electronic devices as a temporary remote control device tocontrol various amenities. Therefore, the systems and methods presentedherein avoid the need for additional or expensive high functionalityremote controls. In this respect, the teachings presented herein alsoinclude providing the software and/or application for the electronicdevice or interactive handheld device. The application, to the extentneeded, may be downloaded from the Internet or alternatively madeavailable by download from the thermostat. Further, the systems andmethods disclosed herein may enable users to be part of a geolocationand safety network.

FIG. 5 depicts one embodiment of the thermostat 12. In this embodiment,chipsets 150, 152 respectively include a program port 154 and storage156, storage 158 and a program port 160. The chipset 150 includes anantenna for wireless protocol Wi-Fi 24, while the chipset 152 includesantennas for wireless protocol Bluetooth 26 and wireless protocol ZigBee28. Serial and radio management communications are enabled between thechipset 150 and the chipset 152. A physical connector 162 is connectedto the chipset 150 to provide data thereto. The source of the data isthe RJ45 port 16, which includes coupling magnet components 164. TheRJ45 port 16 may also provide power of Ethernet which is received bypower of Ethernet circuit component 166 and forwarded to a power supply168. In the illustrated embodiment, the USB Type B port 18 may alsoprovide power to the power supply 168. As shown, the physical connector162 connects a chipset 170 to the camera 20.

FIG. 6 depicts another operational embodiment of a portion of thethermostat 12 shown in FIG. 4 . In this operational embodiment, thethermostat 12 is located in communication with an HVAC system 110, whichmay be servicing the space P and/or the hotel H, for example. The HVACsystem 110 includes terminal connections 112 a, 112 b, 112 c, and 112 dproviding an interface to various components of the HVAC system 110,including cooling, heating, humidity, and electronic air cleaning, forexample. The terminal connections 112 a, 112 b, 112 c, 112 d areprovided by way of nonlimiting example and it should be appreciated thatthe number and configuration of terminal connections may vary dependingon the HVAC system 110 and application.

As shown, the thermostat circuitry 102 is interposed between theprocessor 96 and the HVAC system 110. The transceivers 106 communicatewith the processor 96 and the transceivers 106 are depicted as a ZigBeeantenna 114 in this embodiment. The inputs 92 and the outputs 94 to thethermostat 12 include a wired input/output device 116, a user interface118, and a temperature sensor 120.

In the illustrated embodiment, the processor 96 includes an HVACcontroller 122, an HVAC manager 124 having a programming interface 126,and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 128. The thermostat circuitry102 includes interface circuits 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d coupled toterminal interfaces 132 a, 132 b, 132 c, 132 d. Each of the interfacecircuits 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d have an amplifier circuit 134 a, 134b, 134 c, 134 d and an input/output circuit 136 a, 136 b, 136 c, 136 d.

The processor 96 may execute machine-readable instructions stored inmemory on behalf of the thermostat 12. By way of example, the processor96 may include a microprocessor having one or more cores,microcontroller, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), digitalsignal processor, digital logic devices configured to execute as a statemachine, analog circuits configured to execute as a state machine, or acombination of the above, for example. The processor 96 storesinstructions that may include at least one of HVAC controller logicembodied in the HVAC controller 122 and configurable input and outputmanager logic embodied in HVAC manager 124. In one embodiment, the HVACmanager may include a programming interface 126, which is configured tocommunicate with the thermostat 12 and provide process-executableinstructions thereto by way of non-transitory memory accessible to theprocessor 96.

The HVAC controller 122 is configured to receive and store userselectable configuration parameters for configuring, via the HVACmanager 124, the terminal connections 112 a, 112 b, 112 c, 112 d of theHVAC system 110 as part of the monitoring and controlling of heating andcooling in a room or other environment to a setpoint temperature. TheHVAC controller 122 communicates the various configuration parametersand setpoint temperature to the HVAC manager 124, which may also receiveconfiguration parameters from the programming interface 126.

In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC manager 124 generates andoutputs a group of configuration control signals for each of theinput/output circuits 136 a, 136 b, 136 c, 136 d and each associatedamplification circuit 134 a, 134 b, 134 c, 134 d of the interfacecircuits 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d based on the parameters tocommunicate with the HVAC system 110. Once the terminal interfaces 132a, 132 b, 132 c, 132 d have been configured for a respective input oroutput interface signal type by the interface circuits 130 a, 130 b, 130c, 130 d, the amplification circuits 134 a, 134 b, 134 c, 134 d mayemploy one or more of the configuration control signals to scale andnormalize the feedback signals from the respective terminal interfaces132 a, 132 b, 132 c, 132 d to the interface circuits 130 a, 130 b, 130c, 130 d, which, in turn, drive signals to the ADC 128, which, asmentioned, forms a portion of the processor 96. The ADC 128 converts thefeedback signal to a multi-bit digital signal that may be provided to orstored in memory associated with the processor 96 for access by both theHVAC controller 122 and the HVAC manager 124 for further processing. Asshown in the implementation presented in FIG. 2 , the thermostat 12 mayalso include one or more common, neutral return or earth groundterminals 138 a and 138 b for connecting to a respective common, neutralreturn or earth ground connection of the HVAC system 110, for example.

As mentioned hereinabove, in one implementation, the thermostat 12includes the transceivers 106, shown as a ZigBee antenna 114. Thethermostat 12 may also include the wired input/output device 116 thatmay employ a standard network communication protocol, such as BACnetTMor other network protocol, for enabling signal communication to and fromthe thermostat 12. The thermostat 12 may further include the userinterface 118 coupled to the processor 96 via a standard bus or otherbi-directional parallel or serial communication protocol connection. Theuser interface 118 may be a standard touch screen or combination of akeyboard and display, or other input/output device. When executinginstructions provided by a user or programming software or firmwarecontained in a setup or configuration application, for example, theprocessor 96 may generate and display a screen via the user interface118 that includes a user selectable settings input to enable a user,whether a guest, resident, technician, or thermostat installer, toidentify system parameters to the processor 96 pertaining to the HVACsystem 110. The temperature sensor 120 provides input regarding thetemperature at or near the thermostat 12 within the space P, forexample. It should be appreciated that although a particular thermostatarchitecture is presented in FIG. 6 , other architectures are within theteachings presented herein.

FIG. 7 depicts one embodiment of a method for providing conveniencethrough a remote control device controlling amenities, according to theteachings presented herein. At block 170, a search, which may be activeor passive, is performed by the thermostat to identify a physicallyproximate programmable device in the multi-room environment, forexample. At block 172, a pairing is established. As noted by block 174,the pairing may provide an experience that includes providing a virtualinterface with virtual buttons, for example. Referring to decision block176, as previously discussed, the virtual remote controls and interfaceeach correspond to amenities under the control of the thermostat and, asa result, in addition to monitoring and control of the thermostat, thestatus may be determined of the amenity, the amenity may be controlled,or a programmable device experience may be initiated.

With respect to thermostat control, at block 180, instructions areprovided from the thermostat for a virtual interface on a touch screendisplay associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device. In one embodiment, the virtual buttons areassociated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice and relate to obtaining user input for the thermostat. At block182, the thermostat receives and processes control functionality inputinstructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device. At block 184, the commands are translated into acommand signal. At block 186, the command signal is sent to the HVACsystem.

With respect to amenity status, at block 188, instructions are providedto the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device toenable requests for the status of an amenity. At block 190, commands arereceived at the thermostat relative to user input and a status inquiry.At block 192, the commands are translated and at block 194 a statusinquiry is sent to the amenity. At block 196, a response to the statusinquiry is received at the thermostat and forwarded to the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device at block 198.

With respect to control of amenities, at block 200, instructions areprovided from the thermostat for a virtual interface on a touch screendisplay associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device. In one embodiment, the virtual buttons areassociated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice and relate to obtaining user input for the amenity controlfunctionality provided by the thermostat. At block 202, the thermostatreceives and processes amenity control functionality input instructionsfrom the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device. Atblock 204, the commands are translated into a command signal. At block206, the command signal is sent to the particular amenity.

Returning now to decision block 176 and the importation of content fromthe proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, at block208, instructions are provided from the thermostat for an interfaceincluding virtual buttons, for example, on a touch screen displayassociated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice. The virtual buttons may be associated with the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device and relate to obtaininguser input for the programmable device experience functionality providedby the thermostat. At block 210, the thermostat receives and processesvirtual remote control functionality input instructions from theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device. At block212, the commands are translated into a command signal and sent to theamenity at block 214. At block 216, content is imported from theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device. At block218, the imported content is reformatted for the targeted amenity andforwarded thereto at block 220. As discussed, the fully tuned signalincluding the imported content provides an upstream parallel experienceon the television related to the content on the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device.

FIG. 8 depicts one embodiment of a method for providing safety in ahospitality environment or other environment, according to the teachingspresented herein. At block 230, the array of thermostats is deployedvertically and horizontally throughout the hospitality environment. Atblock 232, beacon signals are periodically transmitted from personallocation devices and received by the thermostats.

At block 234, the beacon signals are received and processed at thethermostat. The beacon signals may include a personal location deviceidentification corresponding to the device being employed by the user.In one embodiment, signal strength between the beacon transmission ofthe thermostat and the common area beacons at the wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device is measured. In other embodiments, phaseangle measurements or flight time measurements may be utilized. At block236, broadcast signals are sent from the thermostats to a server that ispart of the geolocation and safety network. The broadcast signals mayinclude the personal location device identification, thermostatidentification, and signal characteristic indicators. At block 238, theserver receives and processes the broadcast signals. At this step, theserver may identify the location of the origin of the beacon signal andestimate the location of the personal location device. At decision block240, the server takes action based on the mode of operation. In a firstmode of operation at block 242, a service request is associated with thelocation of the user utilizing the location of the personal locationdevice such as the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device as aproxy. In a second mode of operation at block 244, an emergency alert issent, and subsequent notification occurs at block 246. The emergencyalert includes an indication of distress and the location of the userutilizing the location of the wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice as a proxy. In a third mode of operation at block 248, the map ofindividuals is updated with the location of the user with, if privacysettings being enabled, the system maintains the privacy of theindividual working in the hospitality environment such that the systemonly retains in memory the last known position and time of theuser-supplied wireless-enabled smart and interactive handheld device.Further, in this mode of operation, the system does not reveal thelocation of the individual and programmable device unless and until analert is issued. Following the modes of operation, at decision block250, if a video feed is required, then the methodology advances to block252 where a video feed is established. By way of example and not by wayof limitation, a video feed may be required to complete a servicerequest, support an alert request, or provide a visual image tosupplement the map. If a video feed is not required, then themethodology may conclude. If a video feed is required, then the videofeed may include cameras from devices in communication with thegeolocation and safety network that are located near the estimatedlocation of the personal location device.

The thermostat and systems and methods presented herein are particularlyapplicable to non-hotel guest room applications like hallways as well asthe aforementioned educational environments, including hallways,gymnasiums, cafeterias and libraries. In such applications, the camerason the thermostats may be activated by a signal from the serverfollowing an alert, for example. Alternatively, the cameras mayself-actuate following an alert from a personal location device. Thevideo feed or video feeds received at the server may be utilized bysafety and security personal or law enforcement to assess the situation.

The order of execution or performance of the methods and data flowsillustrated and described herein is not essential, unless otherwisespecified. That is, elements of the methods and data flows may beperformed in any order, unless otherwise specified, and that the methodsmay include more or less elements than those disclosed herein. Forexample, it is contemplated that executing or performing a particularelement before, contemporaneously with, or after another element are allpossible sequences of execution.

While this invention has been described with reference to illustrativeembodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in alimiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of theillustrative embodiments as well as other embodiments of the invention,will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to thedescription. It is, therefore, intended that the appended claimsencompass any such modifications or embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for remote control, the systemcomprising: a programming interface configured to communicate with athermostat, the thermostat including a housing securing a temperatureinput, a temperature output, a processor, non-transitory memory,storage, and a camera therein, the thermostat including a busingarchitecture communicatively interconnecting the temperature input, thetemperature output, the processor, the non-transitory memory, thestorage, and the camera, the thermostat including a wireless transceiverassociated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture; thenon-transitory memory accessible to the processor, the non-transitorymemory including first processor- executable instructions that, whenexecuted, cause the processor to: receive and process user inputinstructions relative to an amenity from a proximate programmabledevice, generate a command signal, and send the command signal to theamenity; the non-transitory memory including second processor-executableinstructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive andprocess a beacon signal including a personal location deviceidentification, generate a broadcast signal including the personallocation device identification, a thermostat identification, and asignal characteristics indicator, and send the broadcast signal to aserver; and the non-transitory memory including thirdprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor to: in response to receiving and processing the beacon signalincluding an alert, capture video via the camera.
 2. The system asrecited in claim 1, wherein the proximate programmable device comprisesa device selected from the group consisting of personal computers,laptops, tablet computers, smart phones, and smart watches.
 3. Thesystem as recited in claim 1, wherein the personal location deviceidentification is generated by a personal location device, the personallocation device further comprising a proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device.
 4. The system as recited in claim 1,wherein the personal location device identification is generated by apersonal location device, the personal location device furthercomprising a single button programmable device.
 5. The system as recitedin claim 1, wherein the amenity is selected from a group consisting oftelevision, lighting control, speakers, window shade control, and doorsecurity.
 6. The thermostat as recited in claim 1, wherein the signalcharacteristics indicator is based on the beacon signal being receivedat the thermostat.
 7. The thermostat as recited in claim 1, wherein thesignal characteristics indicator is selected from a group consisting ofsignal strength measurements, phase angle measurements, and flight timemeasurements.
 8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein thenon-transitory memory includes fourth processor-executable instructionsthat, when executed by the processor, cause the system to: establish apairing between the proximate programmable device and the thermostat,send user interface instructions relative to the amenity to theproximate programmable device, receive and process the user inputinstructions relative to the amenity from the proximate programmabledevice, generate a status inquiry, send the status inquiry to theamenity, receive a response to the status inquiry at the thermostat, andforward a status response to the proximate programmable device.
 9. Thesystem as recited in claim 1, wherein the memory includes fifthprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor to: establish a pairing between the proximate programmabledevice and the thermostat, send user interface instructions relative tothe amenity to the proximate programmable device, receive and processthe user input instructions relative to the amenity from the proximateprogrammable device, import content from the proximate programmabledevice, reformat the imported content, and forward the reformattedimported content to the amenity.
 10. A system for remote control, thesystem comprising: a programming interface configured to communicatewith a thermostat, the thermostat including a housing securing atemperature input, a temperature output, a processor, non-transitorymemory, storage, and a camera therein, the thermostat including a busingarchitecture communicatively interconnecting the temperature input, thetemperature output, the processor, the non-transitory memory, thestorage, and the camera, the thermostat including a wireless transceiverassociated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture; thenon-transitory memory accessible to the processor, the non-transitorymemory including first processor-executable instructions that, whenexecuted, cause the processor to: generate a status inquiry, send thestatus inquiry to an amenity, receive a response to the status inquiryat the thermostat; the non-transitory memory including secondprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor to: receive and process a beacon signal including a personallocation device identification, generate a broadcast signal includingthe personal location device identification, a thermostatidentification, and a signal characteristics indicator, and send thebroadcast signal to a server; and the non-transitory memory includingthird processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor to: in response to receiving and processing the beacon signalincluding an alert, capture video via the camera.
 11. The system asrecited in claim 10, wherein the personal location device identificationis generated by a proximate programmable device, the programmable devicecomprising a device selected from the group consisting of personalcomputers, laptops, tablet computers, smart phones, and smart watches.12. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the personal locationdevice identification is generated by a personal location device, thepersonal location device further comprising a proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device.
 13. The system as recited in claim 10,wherein the personal location device identification is generated by apersonal location device, the personal location device furthercomprising a single button programmable device.
 14. The system asrecited in claim 10, wherein the amenity is selected from a groupconsisting of television, lighting control, speakers, window shadecontrol, and door security.
 15. The thermostat as recited in claim 10,wherein the signal characteristics indicator is selected from a groupconsisting of signal strength measurements, phase angle measurements,and flight time measurements.
 16. A system for remote control, thesystem comprising: a programming interface configured to communicatewith a thermostat, the thermostat including a housing securing atemperature input, a temperature output, a processor, non- transitorymemory, storage, and a camera therein, the thermostat including a busingarchitecture communicatively interconnecting the temperature input, thetemperature output, the processor, the non-transitory memory, thestorage, and the camera, the thermostat including a wireless transceiverassociated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture; thenon-transitory memory accessible to the processor, the non-transitorymemory including first processor-executable instructions that, whenexecuted, cause the processor to: establish a pairing between theproximate programmable device and the thermostat, send user interfaceinstructions relative to an amenity to a proximate programmable device,receive and process the user input instructions relative to the amenityfrom the proximate programmable device, import content from theproximate programmable device, reformat the imported content, andforward the reformatted imported content to the amenity; thenon-transitory memory including second processor-executable instructionsthat, when executed, cause the processor to: receive and process abeacon signal including a personal location device identification,generate a broadcast signal including the personal location deviceidentification, a thermostat identification, and a signalcharacteristics indicator, and send the broadcast signal to a server;and the non-transitory memory including third processor-executableinstructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: in response toreceiving and processing the beacon signal including an alert, capturevideo via the camera.
 17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein theproximate programmable device comprises a device selected from the groupconsisting of personal computers, laptops, tablet computers, smartphones, and smart watches.
 18. The system as recited in claim 16,wherein the personal location device identification is generated by apersonal location device, the personal location device furthercomprising a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device.19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the personal locationdevice identification is generated by a personal location device, thepersonal location device further comprising a single button programmabledevice.
 20. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the amenity isselected from a group consisting of television, lighting control,speakers, window shade control, and door security.